Method of manufacturing shoes.



.H. 1. Asn/lus.

METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING SHOES.

rAPPLICATIDN FILED APR. 7. l9l5.

1,1 @@967; Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

WVM/747i TINTTTID STATES PATENT TTTH,

HENRY J. ASMUS. 0F ROCHESTER. NEW YORK. ASSIG-NOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Original application led December 26, 1913, Serial No. 808,878. Divided and this application led April 7, 1915. Serial No. 19,693.

To 7l 'whoml it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY J. AsMUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester. in the county of Monroe and .State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Manufacturing Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

The invention to be hereinafter described consists in a novel method of shaping the ends of boots and shoes.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes, the upper materials are assembled on a last of suitable shape and form and the shoe is then lasted by drawing the marginal portions of the upper materials over the last and laying the margin thereof over the edge of a sole placed upon the bottom of the last and securing the upper materia-ls in such overlaid position.

In drawing the upper materials about the last and laying `the marginal edge portlon inward over the last, the resulting fullness or surplus of upper materials causes crlmps, plaits, or wrinkles in the marginal edge portions of the upper materials where they overlie the bottom of the last, and these crimps, plaits. or wrinkles extend over the edge of the sole or bend in the upper materials, and to some distance upwardly above the edge of the sole. After the outer sole is applied, these crimps, plaits, or wrinkles will frequently be visible about the end of the shoe.

The present invention, in its broadest aspeet, introduces a new procedure in the manufacture of boots and shoes by subjecting the end of the boot or shoe after it has been lasted, and while the parts are held in lasted position, to a shaping or molding pressure prior to the application of the outer sole, which has the effect of molding and shaping the leather at the end of the lasted shoe, and smoothing out the crimps, plaits, or wrinkles.

In another aspect the present invention contemplates subjecting the end of the shoe,

after it has been lasted. and while the upper material is secured in lasted position, to the action ofheat. This heat will preferably be of such intensity as to cause the leather to shrink and set without injury to the teX- ture or fiber thereof, so that when the shaping or molding pressure and heat are applied, the leather at the end of the lasted shoe is molded into conformity with the last, and the crimps, plaits, wrinkles and the like, due to the bent condition of the leather, are removed.

A preferred manner of practising the new ymethod consists in applying the shaping or My novel method may be practised in any I appropriate manner, although under commercial conditions the assistance of mechanical `means conformable to the end of the lasted shoe will be utilized as far as possible, substantially as pointed out in application, Serial No. 808,87 8, filed December 26, 1913, of which the present application is a division. In the apparatus referred to in said application, illustrations of which are furnished herewith as one form of suitable means for carrying out the present method, the shaping or molding pressure at the end of the lasted shoe is effected by relative movement of the lasted shoe and end shaping or molding means conformable to the lasted end of the shoe, and the shaping or molding means is itself heated to the desired degree to shrink and set the leather as the shaping or molding pressure is applied. To efect the desired shaping or molding at the end portion of the lasted shoe, the shaping and molding pressure is applied in a direction generally longitudinal of the shoe to shape or mold the leather about the contour of the lasted end, and substantially transverse thereto to shape or mold the leather on the opposite side of the sole edge line. These shaping or molding pressures may be applied with good results in the sequential order stated, or they may be simultaneously f i I able means for applying the end shaping ormolding pressure of the presentf method, certain parts being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section of one form of machine by which the present' method may be carried out, the toe end of the lasted shoe being shown opposite the end shaping or moldingmeans but out of contact therewith; Fig. 3 is a topor plan view of the toe end of the lasted shoe and, the end shaping or molding means positioned for the shaping or molding pressure;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to that of Fig. 2,

the shaping or molding operation; and Fig.,

8 is a front end view of the parts represented by Fig. 7.

In that type of shoe in which, during lasting, the upper is turned inwardly over a sole placed upon the bottom of the last, crimps, plaits, or wrinkles occur in the marginal portions of the overlaid upper materials and extend over the turn or bend and above the edge of the sole. This is particularly noticeable at the ends of lasted shoes. Difliculties are experienced in eliminating these defects and properly shaping the ends of the shoe to the last contour, and the overlaid marginal portion of the upper to its'seat. Attemps have been made to iron out the crimps, plaits, or wrinkles in the upper materials above the turn or bend at the sole edge by a rubbing action, but with a degree of success dependent primarily upon the skill of the operative. In accordance with the method of the present invention, however, a lasted shoe is so treated that the objectionable crimps, plaits, or wrinkles in the end portions of the shoe are eliminated, the leather is shaped or molded in conformity with the'last, the bend or turn in the leather at the edge of the sole is smoothed and well defined, the overlaid margin of the upper is molded smoothly to its seat, and the line lines which are desirable in shoemaking are secured. l i

A machine which I have found desirable for carrying out the above method comprises a frame preferably formed of a horizontally-extending portion 1 and an upright portion 2 at one end of the horizontallyextending portion. Upon this upright portion may be arranged a molding means comprising preferably two molding members or devices 3, which, when associated together,

are adapted to conform to the heel or to the toe of the shoe. In this instance, a machine is shown as designed for shaping the toc portion of the shoe, but it is-apparent that the machine may be readily changed to shape the heel portion. e j

The molding devices 3, herein shown, which are more particularly adapted for the toe of a McKay shoe or a welt shoe after it 4has. beenA lasted, each have a curved wall 4 which conforms to one side of the toe from a point at the median line of the shoe to a point preferably beyond the box of the shoe and above the vbend or sole edge line. Each molding device preferably .also has a portion '5 forengaging the bend of the up.-

per Vand a portion 6 substantially at right angles to the portion 4 for engaging the inwardly-turned or underlapping stock. Any suitable means may be employedfor supporting these molding devices so that they will have a freedom of movement permittingthem` to conform to the shape of the shoe. In this instance, these molding Vdevices arek loosely mounted so that they may be termed to lioat and, to this end, `each has ears.7 pivoted at 8 to links 9, which in turn are pivoted at 10 to the uprighty 2,v

substantially as set forth in the before-mentioned application. The proximate endsof' the dies or molds-each have fiat portions 11 abutting when the dies are not engaged by the shoe, and also have portions 12 which serve v as fulcra on which the dies turn or rock relatively to each other for conforming tothe end of the shoe, said portions 12 being at acutel angles to the portions 11. From the abutting portions 11, the flanged portions 6 in the illustrated machine incline upwardly toward the outer ends of the molding devices at a slight angle to the plane of movement of the -molding devices, so that the flanges may conform to the plane of the sole of the shoe when the latter is sup' ported in position for treatment.

The dies may be normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1, so that their portions 11 abut, yielding means being employed for this purpose. In this instance, a yoked member 13 has rollers 14 at the ends of its two arms for engagement with the inner faces 1 5 of the two die members 3, said yoked member exerting pressure on the proximate endsv of the dies by means of a coiled spring 16 interposed between the upright portion 2 of the casing and the yoked member.

In order to guide the dies 3 in a single' plane of operation so that they will have no verticall movement, a guiding means is employed, comprising preferably two Walls 17 and 18 arranged in parallel relation and forming a chamber between them, the yoke 13 also being guided between said walls. Theupper guide wall 17 may be a removable top .wall for the upright portion 2 of the frame of the machine, and may be recessed or cut away to conform to the general curve of the dies or molding devices. The depending front edge of the cut-away or recessed portion may be engaged by the forward ends of the flanged portions 6' so as to limit the movements of the molding devices under the action of the spring 16. The lower guide wall 18 may be employed for heating the dies or molding devices to the desired temperature, suitable for shrinking or contracting the leather, by conduction. I have found about 240 .Fahrenheit to give satisfactory results on certain kinds of leather. TTo this end, an electrical heating coil 19 is arranged below and in close relation to the wall 18, said'eoil being curved to correspond to the general curve of the two dies, a covering 20 preferably inclosing the heating coil between said wall 18 and a curved wall 21 of a pocket 22 which is formed in the framed portion 2 below the molding dies, in order that the work on ihe work support may be presented to such ies.

The present method may be conveniently carried out by the character of shaping and molding dies described, and the shrinking and setting effect of the heat may be secured by the application of the heat to the leather -through the dies, as described, whilethe lasted shoe is on the last and suitably supported for the application of the shaping or molding pressure. A convenient form of means for thus supporting the lasted shoe and applying the shaping or molding pressure to the end thereof will now be described.

The work support is preferably in the form of a last 23 tted by means of its jack pin hole to a stem 24 in an inverted position, said stem preferably having screwthreaded engagement with the carriage 25 in order that, vthe last may be raised' and lowered on the carriage to locate the plane of the toe bottom parallel with the faces of the flanges 6 of lthe dies 3. The carriage 25 is preferably movable in horizontal ways or guides 26 formed on the horizontal portion 1 of the frame and extending in a line parallel with the median line through the molding devices in order that the last may be moved toward and from the molding devices. The means for moving this last or work support preferably embodies a cam 27 arranged on a horizontal shaft 28 located vertically below the molding devices and adapted to be turned by any suitable means. This shaft may also have a yoked member 30 guided thereon through the medium of Hslots 31,l the yoke member straddling the cam 27 which moves the said yoke member in opposite directions on the shaft 28. In the yoke member 30, a screw rod 32 is journaled to turn, said rod having its screw portion 33 coperating with a slide or nut 34 which extends through a slot in the top of the frame portion l and is resiliently connected to the carriage 25, preferably by means of a rod 35 surrounded by a spring 36, and adjustably secured to the carriage 25. The screw rod 32 provides an adjustment` in the operating means for accommodating the 'latter to lasts of different lengths and is preferably turned by a hand piece 37 arranged at one end of the frame portion 1. The elastic connection between the operating means and the carriage 25 is provided in order that the pressure of the last against the molding devices may be resilient or yielding. It is apparent that rotative movement of the cam 27 will move the last toward and from the molding devices in a horizontal plane parallel with the plane of yielding or movement of the molding devices, the last being accommodated within the recessed portion 22, as it approaches and engages the molding devices. l

With the end in view of supporting the last and pressing the bottom of the last and the upper thereon against the surfaces 5 and 6 of the flanged portions of the molding devices, means is provided for exerting an upward pressure against the toe 'portion of the last. In this instance, an engaging member 38 is employed which is preferably covered with a yielding material or'pad 39.139 prevent injury to the upper on the last. This engaging device may be adjust-ably arranged on a rod or vertically movable member 40 which near its upper end is guided through a collar 4l, the latter in turn being resiliently or yieldingly supported for slight lateral movement, and to this end carrying a horizontally-extending stem 42 guided in' a'perforated lug 43 and pressed in one directlon by a coil spring 44 which surrounds the stem and abuts at one end against the collar 41 and at the other end against the lug 43. This supporting rod 40 may also be operated by the cam 27, and to this end, it carries at its lower end a yoke 45 which straddles the shaft 28 to be guided vertically by the latter and also straddles the cam 27 in order that the said cam may engage the yoke 45 to lift the engaging device: 38 after said cam engages the voke 30 to shi-ft the last 23 toward the molding devices. A spring 46 surrounds the rod 40 between the yoke 45 and the collar 41 and acts to depress the engaging device 38 and the rod 40 after the last has been moved awayfrom the molding devices.

When the shoe is lasted, as hereinbefore noted, the Amarginal portions of the upper material is drawn and laid over the innersole placed upon the bottom of the last and securedin lasted position as by tacks b. This is typified in Fig. 1, wherein it will and that these extend over the turn or bend of the upper at the edge of the innersole and last, as illustrated, for example,A in Fig. 6.

A lasted shoe, such, for instance, as that above described and illustrated by Fig. 1, which typifies a McKay shoe, is placed in an inverted position upon the adjustable support 2-1 so that the toe points toward the molding devices, the parts beingvadjusted, of course, to the size of the'shoe `on which the machine is to operate. the shaft 28 and cam 27, the last and the shoe are forced against the molding devices and particularly againsty the faces 4 thereof near the abutting ends of the molding devices. This causes theIlatter to rock on their pivots 8, which also shift to permit the lmolding devices to conform to the shape of. the toe. After a certain pressure has been exerted upon the parts, the engaging member 38 moves upwardly to force the underlapping stock of the upper against the face 6 and the face. of the flange. The molding devices are preferably heated to a sufficiently high degree to cause the 'leather to shrink and become set, so that, as the pressure is exerted simultaneously upon the whole end of the shoe, including the turn or bend, and on opposite sides of the latter, the toe is molded into the shape of the molding devices which also conform to the shape of the last. This operation removes wrinkles, plaits, or crimps in the toe, due to the upper being turned inwardly or under and, at the same time, gives the toe the fine lines which are desirable in shoemaking.

The illustrated machine has been designed more particularly for molding the toes of McKay shoes and Welt shoes. By reducing the size of the flanges 6 on the molding devices, the same machine may be employed for molding the toes of turn shoes. It is apparent, also, that -the machinel may be adapted for molding the heel portions of shoes, and such a heel portion molding machine has particular advantages when used with a turn shoe, as it tends to give a definite form to the Aheel counter, it being well known that heel counters of turn shoes cannot be molded before being inserted in,

the shoes, asis usually done in the manufacture of McKay shoes and in the manufacture of many welt shoes.

The effect of the present method in subjecting thev end of the lasted shoe to a shaping'or molding operation, is Well indicated by a comparison of Figs. 6, 7 4and 8, wherein Fig.'6 shows the lasted shoe as it appears after the lasting operation when the mar -ginal portion of the upper has been secured in By operating ment by the present method. In this Fig. 6, as well as in Fig. 1, the condition of the shoe-parts is such that the leather only approximates to the contour of the'end of the last, and crilnps, plaits, or Wrinkles in the leather extend from the overlaid marginal portion of the upper, and over the bend or turn at the edge of the inner sole or last. Figs. 7 and 8 showT the same lastedshoe after the shaping or molding operation of the present method has been performed, and it will be apparent that the leather has been shaped `or molded, with substantial accuracy to the contour of the last, and that the crimps, plaits, or wrinkles have bee'n eliminated from the bend or turn, as at o, as well as from the side portions of the end as at 0l, thus `presenting the fine, smooth lines desired. A further advantage from use of the invention Ion a McKay shoe is that the shoe is .in a better condition to receive the outer sole,as the latter may lie flat against the underlapping stock of the upper in proximity to the sole edge line so that no space is provided between the shoe upper and the lower or outer sole. 1

lVhere, as in the present illustration, the shoe is held in lasted position by tacks, the shaping or molding operation on the bottom of the shoe is preferably extended only to those portions of the overlaid ,upper materials between the line of tacks and the bend or turn at the edge of the sole vand last, substantially as indicated in Fig. 3, and incase y of Welt shoes, the shaping or molding of the upper materials may be extended to the angle between the feather and lip of the welt shoe innersole.

What is claimed is 1. The method of shaping the ends of boots and shoes after they have been lasted and the upper materials secured in lasted position, which comprises subjecting the leather simultaneously at opposite sides of the end of the lasted boot or shoe to a shapthe lasted shoe to remove crimps and wrinkles. 3. The methodkof shaping the ends of .n boots and shoes, which consists in applying l a.. shaping or molding pressure to the end portion of the boot or shoe at opposite sides of the bend or sole edge line after the boot or shoe has been lasted and the parts secured in lasted position prior to the applioverlaid or lasted position, and before treatcation of the outer sole, and simultaneously subjecting the leather at the end of the lasted boot or shoe to the action of heat of suiiciently high temperature to shrink the leather.

l. The method of shaping the ends of lasted boots and shoes, which comprises applying .a shaping or molding pressure and a. leather shrinking heat to the end of the shoe while the upper materials are secured in lasted position.

5. rIhe method ot' shaping the ends of boots and shoes after they have been lasted, which consists in applying to the end of the lasted shoe after the parts are secured in lasted position a shaping or molding pressure extending uninterruptedly from one side of the bend or sole edge line to the other, and shrinking the leather by heat during the application of the shaping or molding pressure.

6. rlhe method of shaping the ends of lasted boots and shoes, which consists in applying a shaping or molding pressure si; multaneously to the opposite sides of the end of the lasted boot or shoe at one side of the sole edge line substantially parallel to the shoe bottom after the parts are se-v cured in lasted position, and a shaping or molding pressure to the end'of the boot or shoe at the opposite side of the sole edge line in a direction substantially perpendicular to the shoe bottom.

7. rlhe method of shaping the ends of lasted boots and shoes, which consists in applying a shaping or molding pressure to the end of the lasted boot or shoe at one side of the sole edge line substantially parallel to the vshoe bottom after the parts are secured in lasted position, and a shaping or molding pressure to the end of the boot o-r shoe at the opposite side of the sole edge line in a direction substantially perpendicu-` lar to the shoe bottom and simultaneously with the application of said shaping and molding pressures, shrinking and setting the leather'by heat applied at the end of the boot or shoe.

8. The method of shaping the ends of boots and shoes after they have been lasted, which consists in applying a shaping or molding pressure simultaneously over an extended portion of the upper materials at opposite sides of the end of the boot or shoe while the upper materials are secured in lasted position.

Q 'The method of shaping the ends of lasted boots and shoes, which consists in applying a shaping or molding pressure simultaneously to the two sides and the end of the toe of a lasted boot'or shoe at one side vof the sole edge line after the parts are secured in lasted position, and a shaping or molding pressure simultaneously to the two sides and the end of the toe of the lasted boot or shoe at the opposite side of the sole Y edge line.

10. rl`he method of shaping' the ends of lasted boots and shoes, which consists in applying a shaping or'molding pressure simultaneously to the two sides and the end of the toe of a lasted boot or shoe at one side of the sole edge line after the parts are secured in lasted position, and a shaping or molding pressure simultaneously to the two sides and the end of the toe of the lasted boot or shoe at the opposite side of the sole edge line, and simultaneously with the application of said shaping and molding pressures, shrinking and setting the leather by heat applied to the end of the boot or shoe.

ln testimony whereofA I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY J. ASMUS. 

